SDRAM and SO-DIMM RAM cannot mix?

[CGameProgrammer]

I have a laptop which has a 512MB stick of 400MHz DDR SDRAM. I bought a second 512MB 400DDR stick, which apparently is SO-DIMM. When I insert it and try to boot up, BIOS emits a series of beeps of increasing volume, and the monitor never turns on. Removing the second stick allows the computer to boot normally.

Is the error due to the SDRAM/SO-DIMM differences? Do I have to find an SDRAM stick instead? My motherboard is an Intel Springdale i865PE according to Everest. The laptop itself is Clevo's D500P model (sold under various names such as the Sager 5680/5690 among others).

 

[montag451]

what happens if you take out the original stick, and put in the new one?

 

[CGameProgrammer]

I didn't try that, though I don't really see the point since both sticks should perform similarly. Or do you mean I should do it to see if the second stick is damaged or something?

 

[montag451]

yep

 

[LTC8K6]

SO-DIMM is the packaging, it's still DDR SDRAM. The memory that's in there is SO-DIMM.

It may not like the memory you tried to use. Are you sure it's DDR400?

What CPU is in it?

 

[CGameProgrammer]

Thanks for the clarification, LTC. I'm positive both sticks are DDR400. When I did as montag suggested and replaced the original stick with the new one, the same error occured. So I guess it's defective. That pisses me off... I'll have to return it and attempt to get non-defective memory again.

The CPU is a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 w/ Hyper-Threading.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yeah, that should be using DDR400 alright. I guess you just got "lucky" and got a bad stick of mem. 😀